Peaches' Sweet Sixteen
by MusicRocks807
Summary: It's her sixteenth birthday, but it's not going so great for Peaches. Some bonding moments between Peaches and her new aunt, and Louis actually has a big part in this one! Sorry about the suckish summary, but the one-shot is better, and REALLY long! Also sorry that the cover image ended-up kinda strange... oh well. Please read and review! SEQUEL PUBLISHED!
1. Chapter 1

Peaches' Sweet Sixteen

**Well, like I said on my profile, I'm obsessed with Ice Age, and I randomly came up with this idea a little while after watching Ice Age 4: Continental Drift, but I never really thought about writing it up until now. This will only be a oneshot, as it's set in one day, but I hope it'll be good anyway. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age or the characters.**

**Okay, onto the story!**

Peaches woke up bright and early. This was it! The day she had been waiting for! The day her dad would have to give her some independency! The day she would finally be allowed to have some fun! Her sixteenth birthday! She dropped down from her branch of the tree and ran to Louis's burrow.

"Louis! LOUIS!" she shouted, swinging from the trees "LOUIS! Come on, get up! It's a very special day! Hint, hint!"

A very sleepy molehog clambered out of the burrow and stared up at her.

"Yeah, yeah it's your birthday!" he sighed "Look, I'm happy for you, but can I not be happy for you in an hour or so? You know, after I've gotten some sleep!"

"No! It's a very special occasion! My sixteenth birthday! C'mon, get excited!"

Louis rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay! Happy birthday, Peach!" he said, smiling at his best friend. She smiled back.

"There we go! Some enthusiasm!"

Louis rolled his eyes at her again, as if it was the most annoying thing in the world to be woken up early in the morning to be 'forced' to say 'Happy Birthday' to a friend, but he secretly loved it. It was great knowing that the girl he loved so dearly would come to him first when she was excited about something.

"Alright, now that I've showed 'some enthusiasm', can I please get some sleep?" he asked. She laughed.

"Yeah sure, okay. But I'll be back later!"

"Fine with me, as long as later is 'in an hour' or something!"

They both laughed, and Peaches went back home, swinging from branch to branch again. Louis watched her go and smiled to himself. She was so sweet.

* * *

"DIEGO!"

The sabretooth tiger leapt to his feet, startled out of his sleep. Manny loomed over him.

"Where is Peaches?"

"How should I know?! She's _your _kid!"

"Well you're her uncle! You should look out for her too!"

"I do look out for her! I was just a little bit busy SLEEPING!"

Shira, who'd just been woken up by the shouting, sighed.

"Did either of you geniuses think that she might've gone out to see Louis or something? I mean, it is her birthday!"

"Thank-you Auntie Shira!" said Peaches, who'd actually been listening for the whole conversation, waiting in the trees "And for your information Dad, I _did _go out to see Louis!"

Manny still looked angry.

"At this time in the morning!"

"Yeah, I woke him up!"

"Peaches! It's very impolite to just appear in front of someone this early in the morning and shout their name!"

Diego cleared his throat angrily. Manny ignored him.

"You need to be more responsible, Peaches!"

"Well maybe if _someone_ would let me out of their sight for more than thirty seconds without worrying I would be!" snapped Peaches, losing her temper and stamping off into the forest.

"I got it." sighed Shira, climbing to her feet and following Peaches into the forest before Manny could. Ellie, now awake, glared at Manny, who was glancing after the sabre with a worried expression.

"Now what's wrong?" she asked huffily.

"It's just, uhm, after the whole pirate thing, I just - I don't think Shira's gonna be very, uhm, what's the word, understanding."

Diego growled.

"You take that back!" he hissed "Or else!"

"Or else what?"

Ellie and Sid ran inbetween the mammoth and the sabre before war ensued.

"Okay, I think you need a little break, honey!" said Ellie firmly, pushing Manny away from Diego. Sid attempted to get Diego to lie down, but, as usual, didn't succeed.

* * *

Peaches stood alone in a clearing facing a tree, quietly seething with anger. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Go away!"

"It's just me."

Peaches turned around, and saw her new aunt standing at the edge of the clearing.

"Sorry Auntie Shira, I'm just really upset."

Shira nodded kindly.

"I understand. You just want a little bit of time away from everyone. In fact, you probably want me to go too, right?"

"No, no!" exclaimed Peaches "No, don't go!"

Shira turned to face Peaches again, and smiled softly.

"Okay, whatever you want, sweetie."

Peaches looked down at the grass.

"What's wrong, Peaches?" asked Shira sweetly.

"It's just, well, since you used to be a pirate, I just thought-"

"That I'd be hard as stone, cold as ice?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm not."

"I know that now. You're actually a lot sweeter than I thought you'd be. I'm really glad you're a part of our herd, Auntie Shira."

Shira's eyes watered.

"Thanks a lot, Peach. Seriously, that means so much to me."

They both just looked at each-other for a moment, smiling while trying not to cry. Shira walked slowly towards her new niece, and rubbed her head against her. Peaches wrapped her trunk around her aunt. And they just stood there.

"Happy birthday, Peaches."

"Thank-you."

* * *

Manny paced back and forth worriedly, while Diego lay on the floor, growling low and quiet. Ellie and Sid waited on the sidelines to make sure no fights got started. Granny, unable to sense the tension, was trying to swat the possums with her cane, accusing them of stealing her teeth.

"But we didn't take them Granny!"

"We swear we didn't!"

"Don't you lie to Granny! Now where have you hidden my chompers?!"

"HELP!" yelled the possums, simultaneously.

"Just tell Granny where you hid her teeth already, boys!" said Ellie wearily "At least it'll get her to be quiet!"

"But we didn't hide them!"

"Yeah, not this time!"

Diego rolled his eyes. _Stupid possums, _he thought, _Why don't they just accept that everyone knows the_y've _been up to something?! _Suddenly, Sid leapt up and shouted in pain.

"Ow!" he whined "Something bit me!"

"Think Sid found ya teeth Granny!" laughed Ellie. Sid held up the teeth as a peace-offering, and Granny happily accepted them, but she did clonk Sid on the head with her cane.

"And that's for stealing my chompers!"

"Granny, he didn't-" began Manny, before Diego interrupted him.

"Save your breath, you'll just offend her like you do with everyone else!"

"Seriously? You're still on that? Give it a rest already!"

Diego growled louder and got ready to pounce. Sid and Ellie hurried forward, concerned. _Uh-oh,_ thought Ellie, _This won't end well!_

* * *

"So, birthday girl! What do you want to do?" asked Shira, in an unusually cheery mood.

"I dunno, I was just gonna wait 'til a little later when Louis is up and hand out with him, if that's okay?"

"Of course it's okay, Peach! It's your birthday! Anything you wanna do is fine with me! Well... anything within reason!"

They both laughed.

"Okay, uhm, how about we just head out somewhere on the island?" suggested Peaches.

"I've told you a million times Peaches, it's up to you! You can just go off on your own for a bit if you want to!"

"Nah, you're good company."

"Thank-you." said Shira, sounding serious all of a sudden "It's been a while since anyone said that to me."

"Well, what about Uncle Diego?"

"Oh, yeah, well, he doesn't count at the minute."

"Why not?"

"Coz I can hear him growling at your dad from here. C'mon, let's go stop the war of the century!"

"Sheesh! And people say _I _exaggerate a lot!"

"Hey!"

Laughing, they headed off into the forest. Suddenly, Shira had an idea. She tapped Peaches one the shoulder and shouted,

"Race ya!"

At first, Peaches couldn't keep up with her sabretooth aunt. Then, she had the brilliant idea of swinging on the branches to gain speed.

"Hey!" exclaimed Shira, after Peaches overtook her "That's cheating!"

"Kitty can't keep up?" shouted Peaches tauntingly.

"Oh, okay, now you're goin' down!"

Shira ran as fast as she could, determined to catch up to Peaches.

* * *

"Guys, guys! C'mon, let's be resonable!" cried Ellie, trying to get Manny and Diego to calm down. Just as they were about to argue, a loud thumping caught their attention.

"WOOHOO! First place!" yelled Peaches, dropping off a branch and dancing over to her herd.

"Only coz you took to the trees, cheater!" panted Shira, who wasn't too far behind. Gasping, she leaned against a nearby tree.

"What happened?" asked Diego, running to Shira's side.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Manny seemed distracted too. Still catching her breath, Shira jerked her head towards Peaches, who laughed.

"Me and Auntie Shira were having a race and I beat her!"

"No, no, no! You got upset and your Auntie Shira managed to calm you down very quickly!" gasped Shira, still catching her breath. "And you only beat me back because you cheated anyway!"

"I didn't cheat! I simply used my initiative!"

"Okay, okay! Whatever. You won, Peach!" sighed Shira, grinning fondly at Peaches.

Diego rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah, and I'm the softie!"

Shira pulled a face at him, but he leaned in and licked her cheek. She smiled and licked him back, and then remembered everyone else was there.

"Awkward!" said Crash, in a high-pitched voice.

* * *

Buck clung to the vine for dear life, swinging above the dinosaurs heads. Rudy followed in hot pursuit. Just as Buck had grabbed the next vine and started the ascent, Rudy swung his tail up and knocked Buck off the vine and up,up, up into the air, past the skyline. He could feel the wind in his face, and adreneline coursed through his veins.

"WOOHOO!" he called out as, being the crazy weasel he is, he was enjoying the flying sensation. He flew very, very high, so high that his dino world shrunk until it looked the right size to fit in the shell of an acorn.

"Farewell, Snowflake!" shouted Buck, hoping that Rudy might somehow hear him "See ya next time."

He passed the clouds, but he was so busy watching his world fade that he didn't notice. He also didn't notice that he wasn't in the sky anymore. He was lying on solid ground, peering through a hole next to him at the dino world down below: his home. He managed to tear his eye away from the hole to look around him. A pair of mammoths standing with a smaller mammoth (which Buck assumed was their kid), two possums who were dancing and silent-screaming while pointing at him, a stinky sloth trying to control a MUCH older and crankier sloth, and a familiar orange sabretooth nuzzling against an _un_familiar white sabretooth.

"Well, well, well. Long time no see, Mammals!" he said "See you've got some new ones in the group!"

"Uh, yeah... so, what brings you back up here?" asked Manny, looking at Buck curiously.

"Vine-swinging mishap. The mishap being Rudy knocked me with his tail and I flew up here."

Buck nodded along to some beat that must've been going through his head, while everyone looked at him in confusion.

"Okay... I guess I'm not really surprised," sighed Diego.

"I am!" exclaimed Shira "What in the world is going on?"

"Ya know, for once I agree with Snow White over there!" said Granny, waving her cane in Shira's direction.

"Ah, Snow White. That's a, uhm... interesting name..." Buck attempted to be nice.

"Her name's not Snow White, Buck." sighed Diego, rubbing his head against his tigress "Her name's Shira."

"Snow White!" scoffed Manny "That'd never catch on!"

Various words of agreement came from the rest of the herd, along with a few giggles and several nods of approval.

"Oh, blimey!" cried Buck, staring at Shira's earrings "Ma'am, you do know that theres a pair of animal-insect-things stuck through your ear, right?"

Shira groaned in annoyance.

"Am I the only animal on the island who's ever seen earrings before?" she asked, exasperated "I mean, seriously, when I first met the animals on this island I was on a pirate ship and my crew was attacking and the first thing anyone - meaning Ellie - said to me was 'What are those rings in your ear?'. Okay Peach, now I'm done!"

"I wasn't going to ask you that..." lied Peaches. Shira looked at her skeptically. Diego laughed and gave her a little lick on the cheek.

"I take it she's your mate, mate?" said Buck, smiling knowingly at Diego.

"Not officially..." muttered Diego, looking down. Then it was Shira's turn to laugh and lick him. Manny rolled his eyes.

"Aww, look at the lovebirds!" teased Sid, who was soon reminded that it wasn't a good idea to tease sabres, especially a sabre that used to be a pirate. "Okay, okay! I surrender! I'm sorry!"

Shira laughed cruelly, but let him get up again.

"She's mean!" whined Sid, directing his complaint to Diego and obviously expecting him to do something about it. Diego just shrugged.

"Your own stupid fault, Sid! And anyway, she's only mean to idiots."

"But she's mean to us, too!" pointed out the possums.

"My point exactly!"

Everyone except the possums starting laughing, while Crash and Eddie sulked on a tree branch. Buck stood on the sidelines and smiled to himself. He wouldn't have admitted it, but he had really missed that crazy herd.

"Peaches? Peaches?" called a quiet voice, seemingly from underground. Buck's ears pricked up.

"What in the world is that?" he asked, his eye darting warily around the forest, clearly expecting some kind of attacker. Peaches just laughed.

"Don't worry Uncle Buck, that's just my friend Louis!" Seeing Buck glance at the ground in confusion, she added "He travels underground."

"A mammoth that travels underground? That doesn't sound right!" Buck stated truthfully, still as confused as ever.

"No, no, Louis isn't a mammoth; he's a molehog!"

Just as Buck was about to ask yet another question about Peaches' strange best friend, Shira gasped in horror as she spotted Louis's path, and, more importantly, where it was heading.

"What's up?" asked Diego, but he was ignored. Shira ran over to Buck, startling the weasel but barely noticing, and started digging at the ground.

"I thought dogs dug holes in the ground, not cats..." she heard Sid mutter to Manny.

"Shut up Sid!" she shouted over her shoulder, scaring Louis and causing him to stop still. She was glad of this; it made her job an awful lot easier. She dug until she found Louis, curled up in a fearful ball. Gently, she lifted him out of the ground and carried him towards Peaches.

"Dude, why?" asked Peaches, looking at her aunt skeptically.

"Look where his path was heading." Shira jerked her head in the direction that Louis had been digging. To Peaches' terror, Louis had been incredibly close to running into the giant hole in the ground that Buck had made.

"Oh my gosh, thank-you Auntie Shira!" gasped the mammoth, wrapping her trunk tightly around Shira's neck. The sabre pulled away quick.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome, Peach."

"Sorry Shira, I thought you were okay with hugs and stuff." apologised Peaches, a tone of sadness in her voice.

"I am, Peaches. It's not being able to breathe that I have a problem with!"

"Oops, sorry!"

"No worries!"

"Huh, for a sabretooth, you're very understanding." commented Buck, a small smile on his face. Diego smirked at Manny as if to say "I told you so!". Manny glared back, but it was that kind of glare that doesn't actually seem angry, just joking around. Ellie smiled at them both, glad they were friends again. She couldn't help wondering if Manny ever got that defensive over her. As a matter of fact, he had, but she didn't know that, of course.

"Okay, okay, right, now that Louis is here, you two can go and have fun, Peach!" said Shira, smiling lovingly. Peaches cocked her head to one side.

"You sure Auntie Shira?"

"Positive. Now c'mon, you get outta here! Go on, go away, clear off already!"

Peaches smiled gratefully at the sabretooth.

"Thanks a lot, Auntie Shira!"

"No problem, sweetie." Shira assured her niece "Now go on, have some fun! It's your sixteenth birthday!"

"Won't Dad get mad?" asked Peaches worriedly. Shira shook her head.

"Nah, don't worry. I got ya back. Seriously though, get out of here before he sees ya!"

"Thanks. Honestly, thanks Shira." Peaches blushed slightly. Shira giggled, but waved the best friend's off with her paw. Louis perched on her head, Peaches swiftly crept out of the clearing, mouthing "Thank-you!" to her aunt one last time. Shira smiled as she watched them leave. Manny would get mad when he found out, but at least he'd be mad at her, not Peaches, which was good.

"Okay, it's great to see you again Buck-"

"Exactly sixteen years later!"

"Yes, thank-you for that annoying interruption Sid! Anyway, great as it is to see you, we really have some preparing to do for, uhm, something." Manny tried to tell Buck that he needed to organise something for Peaches' birthday, but as he still thought she was behind him, he couldn't say it out loud. Shira smiled again.

"Hey, Manny?" said Shira, nervous to confess what she had done "I, uhm, sort of told Peaches and Louis to, erm, go away for a bit..."

"WHAT?! WHY?!" exploded Manny, furious at the sabretooth tiger that cowered away from his wrath. Diego stepped in front of her protectively.

"Stay away from her, Manny! Don't you dare hurt her!" roared Diego. He suddenly felt something at the back of his neck. Unknown to him, Shira had come closer to him and started to lick his neck in an attempt to calm him down. He resisted the urge to purr contently at her touch in order to keep his fearful stance. Everybody moved in to block the sabre and mammoth so they couldn't attack each-other. Ellie sighed to herself. _What on Earth is wrong with those two today?!, _she thought, slightly annoyed, _They're fighting over anything today. No, everything they've fought over involves Shira..._

* * *

Away from her herd, Peaches swung on the tree branches, enjoying herself in the company of her best friend in the world, unaware of how much trouble her day away from the family was bringing. Louis clung to his friend's head, terrified he would fall off. She chuckled happily, enjoying Louis's comical whimpers and whines.

"Aw, c'mon Louis! It's not that scary!"

"Yeah, maybe not from _your_ point of view, Peach! But I am a molehog and I'm struggling to stay on my best friend's head up here! So, actually, it is TERRIFYING!"

Peaches was slightly taken aback, mostly because that was probably the biggest chunk of speech she'd heard Louis say since Captain Gutt captured her and he stood up to the ape to save her life. But she still managed to laugh; she knew Louis was trying to be comical to hide his fear.

"Don't worry, we're almost there!" she assured him. Louis nodded.

"Okay, where is 'there'?"

Peaches smirked knowlingly.

"You'll just have to wait and see!"

"Uh-oh! Those are never good words!"

"Shut up!"

Both friends laughed as loudly as they approached wherever they were going. Only Peaches knew; she liked to be in control on her birthday!

* * *

Down at the local hangout, The Overhang (that big, rock thing that Manny, Sid, Diego, Granny and Shira see when they wash up on the beach), Steffie, Katie and Meghan where standing together, whispering gleefully.

"But seriously, sixteen!"

"I know! She acts like she's six, not sixteen!"

"Hahaha! Great jokes, girls! But we gotta keep in with that loser, remember!" Steffie interrupted her friends. Katie tilted her head to one side.

"Why do we gotta keep in with _Peaches_? She's a complete loser!" remarked Katie. Steffie rolled her eyes.

"True. But she's best friends with that Weiner kid, and he's been semi-famous since that monkey dude came around! And, that white sabre pirate, you know, the one that betrayed her crew? Well, she's Peaches' aunt now, so we'll get seriosu street-cred if people think we're her best friends as well!" Steffie explained, not realising that a ceratin mammoth who had just arrived with her molehog fried was listening intently, hanging on their every word.

"Oh okay, so you guys only hang around with me coz I've got a rockin' best friend and a seriously cool Auntie? Fine. Just fine. But you guys can say goodbye to your 'street-cred', because me and _Louis_-" she put extra emphasis on his name to point out their mistake of calling him Weiner "-Are outta here!"

And with that, she turned on her heels and marched off to make the long journey back home. _I guess Auntie Shira won't have to cover for me after all, _she thought sadly, _At least Dad won't get mad at her now. _Little did Peaches know...

* * *

As soon as Manny and Diego had calmed down a little (meaning they were no longer at each-other's throats), the herd had begun to prepare Peaches' birthday party. Shira and Ellie tried their best to keep the two males away from each-other, and seemed to be succeeding. Until Shira sent Diego to go get more vines to hang as streamers, and Ellie sent Manny to go and collect more berries for snacks, and the two bumped into each-other. Literally, Diego got distracted and walked straight into Manny, who'd stopped to pick berries.

"Woah, sorry buddy!" exclaimed Diego, pretending he hadn't been fighting with Manny earlier that day, as he wanted to make up with his friend but was too tough to say so.

"Err... no worries, it's okay..."

"Hey, uhm, Manny?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm, uh, sorry about before. I just lost my temper and got... protective of her, I guess."

"S'okay, I get that every time Sid makes a snide comment about me and Ellie. And every time the possums tease Ellie in that brother-sister way. But I've learned to control it."

Diego nodded awkwardly.

"Yeah... I really gotta work on my people skills."

Then they laughed, as old friends, which, of course, they are. Buck, watching silently in a tree, grinned fondly at them. _I __wonder if they'd ever accept me into this herd again..._

_What are you thinking? You're life is in Dinotopia, battling Rudy!_

_Well, maybe it's time I moved on from that!_

_What, no! You can't do that!_

_Well why not?!_

_Because you love your single guy lifestyle! You live in paradise!_

_I thought I did..._

Buck sighed. Arguing with himself really just wasn't as fun without any skeleton heads to say stuff in funny voices. But he seriously was torn between returning to Dinotopia after Peaches' party, or asking the herd if he could stay. He sighed again. He just didn't know what he wanted anymore.

* * *

Peaches lay at the foot of a tall oak tree, weeping bitterly. Louis sat on her head, silently stroking her, trying to get her to stop crying.

"C'mon Peach, it's your sixteenth birthday! Cheer up!"

"Why should I cheer up? My 'friends' hate me and think I'm a loser, my aunt wanted me out of the way because she probably thinks I'm a loser too, and I bet you're sitting there thinking 'Stop crying you loser!' Everyone hates me!"

"Peaches, I do NOT hate you! I do NOT think you're a loser, but I'll admit I want you to be happy again and stop crying." said Louis firmly. So firmly that he actually made Peaches stop crying out of surprise.

"Really?" she sniffed. He nodded.

"Yeah, really. We're best friends forever, Peach, and nothing will ever, or could ever, change that. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks Louis."

"No problem. Now c'mon, lets head back to your family so I can prove that bit about your aunt hating you isn't true!"

Peaches giggled, cheered up again.

"Okay, sure. Want me to carry you again?"

"No thanks. I kinda want to live... so I think I'll just go underground!"

"If you're sure..."

"Definitely!"

Both friends laughed and Peaches got up. Louis dropped down to the ground and smiled up at Peaches.

"Race?" asked Louis tauntingly.

"Sure thing!" agreed Peaches, remembering the race she'd been in earlier that day "But just to warn you, I beat Shira earlier in a race!"

"Oh man, now I'm worried!" teased Louis, earning him a laugh from his best friend.

"Shut up, Louis!" she said "C'mon, on the count of three. 1, 2, 3!"

And with that, the universe's oddest pair of best friends began their race.

* * *

Back with the herd, Shira was running circles around Sid, Granny and the possums. Literally, she was running around the clearing doing various different jobs while those four stood there like lemons and occasionally asked what she was doing.

"I'm trying to organize my neice's sixteenth birthday party, and I'd suggest you do the same!" she answered snappily every time they asked. She was racing over to Ellie to ask if she could do anything else, when Diego pounced on her, knocking her to the ground.

"What the-"

"Don't worry, it's just me."

"Well, what are you doing! I was trying to help get Peaches' party sorted out!"

"You've been working too hard, you need a break!"

"No I don't, I'm fine!"

"You're taking a break!" said Diego firmly, holding her down. Shira looked up at him. He grinned, enjoying how helpless she was in that position.

"If they kiss, I'm gonna puke!" declared Granny for the second time, causing the possums to snicker childishly, but Sid was smart enough not to laugh. Diego growled darkly at the possums, but still refused to let Shira up. She sighed in agitation.

"If I agree to take a break, will you let me up?" she asked hopefully. He shook his head.

"No, because I don't believe you'll keep your word."

Shira bared her teeth at him, but he only laughed cruelly. _I'm enjoying this so much!, _he thought to himself as he laughed, _So, soo much!_

* * *

Buck swung the trees excitedly, having spotted Peaches and Louis on their way over.

"They're on their way mates..." Buck's voice trailed off as he saw Diego pinning Shira to the ground "Do you two want some privacy?"

Diego looked down at Shira, then looked back up, startled.

"It's not what it looks like, honest! I was just trying to get her to take a break from her work, then she wouldn't listen so I, uhm..."

"I get it." Buck winked knowingly at Diego, who finally let Shira up again out of sheer embarressment, but insisting on holding onto her foreleg to stop her running away. Just as Manny and Ellie were coming over, they heard the sound of branches being forced to carry the weight of a teenage mammoth, and cheering.

"Peaches!" exclaimed Ellie "Hide!"

Everyone ran to their designated hiding spot, Diego releasing Shira so that she could carry out her part of the plan. She lay at the opening of the clearing, humming and singing softly to herself. Peaches swung through the branches eagerly, only noticing her aunt casually lying there when she was almost falling on top of her.

"Oops! Sorry Auntie Shira!" laughed Peaches, happy that she had won the race. Louis burrowed up beside her, panting. Peaches laughed even harder. Shira didn't even seem to notice. Peaches gently tapped her aunt on the shoulder.

"Auntie Shira?..." she asked cautiously.

"Hm? Oh, hey Peach."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, why?" answered Shira in the same monotone voice she had been using the entire time. Peaches looked put out.

"It's just, you seem so... distracted."

"Just daydreaming."

"Ah. Okay."

There was an awkward silence. Shira returned to humming and singing. Louis stood awkwardly beside Peaches, physically scared by the sabre's lack of interest in everything. Peaches couldn't take the silence.

"So... where's the rest of the herd?" she asked quietly. Shira shrugged.

"Don't know, don't really care."

Peaches looked down sadly. Louis, not wanting to see his friend cry _again, _boldly stepped forward. Surprised as she was, Shira managed to only raise an eyebrow.

"Look tigress! It's been a REALLY tough day for Peaches, and I'm pretty sure she could do without the 'too cool to care' attitude from you!"

Peaches gasped, Louis gasped, but Shira stopped herself. _You idiot!, _she thought, _You don't care, remember?!_

"Check the clearing or something." she sighed, somehow managing to keep the monotone voice.

"Thank-you so much." replied Louis dryly, before leading the way into the clearing. Shira ignored them, wondering how in the world Louis had stood up to her without being afraid. It was weird, she felt almost... proud. She shocked herself with that realisation, but was quickly snapped out of her trance by a shout of,

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEACHES!"

Shira smiled to herself, and sauntered into the clearing, her eyes lighting up with happiness. Their plan had worked perfectly...

* * *

Peaches stood, shell-shocked, surrounded by her family members.

"What's going on? What is this?" she asked, stunned. She heard a familiar laugh come from behind her.

"Isn't it obvious? It's a surprise party for you, Peach!" explained Shira kindly. Peaches and Louis both tilted their heads to the side.

"Wait a minute... but you were... and you said... and-" Louis was lost for words. Shira smiled at them both, and then bowed theatrically.

"The power of acting, kids!"

Peaches gawped at her auntie in disbelief.

"Are you serious?!"

Shira nodded, then nuzzled her head against her neice, whispering "I love you Peaches," into her ear. The mammoth blushed beneath her fur.

"Alright! Let's get this party started!" shouted Diego. Everyone looked at him the way you might look at some crazy person on the street. Shira shook her head slowly, as if she pitied him. After a moment of awkward silence, Sid remembered what he was going to say.

"But this isn't all, Peaches!" he announced, gesturing broadly to a fallen tree lined with various presents "There is also the present-tree!"

"And plenty of other party stuff!" continued Crash.

"Not to mention Buck's not-so-little surprise!" added Manny, pointing to the weasel with his trunk. Buck blushed a little as everyone stared at him; only Manny knew what the surprise was. Buck took a deep breath.

"Well, if it's okay with the rest of you, I was planning to stay up here with you lot."

Everyone's enthusiastic applause and cheers confirmed that Buck was staying.

"It's official! This is the best birthday ever!" declared Peaches, smiling. Everybody laughed and nodded, completely agreeing with Peaches' statement.

"Alright! Let's get this party started!" shouted Shira, to which everyone applauded.

"Hahaha! That was so cool Auntie Shira!" exclaimed Peaches.

"Oh sure, when she says it it's cool, and when I say it it's weird." muttered Diego. After the herd was done laughing at him, the best day of Peaches' life began for real.

**So, what did you think? Sorry if I rushed the ending, or if it was cruel to have Peaches' friends make fun of her on her sixteenth birthday, just wanted Louis to have a big part in this one, since he normally ends up ignored in my stories. Anyways, hope you guys liked this, and please review! Thanks a lot! XD**

**MusicRocks807 xxx**


	2. Authors Note

**Heyy, this isn't an update, just an Author's Note, but it's an Author's Note ****_about _****an update if that counts. See, I'm considering a sequel to this called 'Wish Upon a Star' (if/when I end up writing it the title will make more sense, honest!) but if people don't want me to do a sequel then I won't, because it's pointless writing a story that people don't want. There's a poll on my profile that you can vote on, or you could tell me in a review or by PM, I don't mind either way. Thanks :)**

**BTW, on a totally unrelated note, it's officially a month since I joined Fanfic! XD**

**Oh, and I have a couple of other stories/one-shots in progress, but one's a Christmas one so sorry if I accidentally neglect any stories as I rush to get that finished. You know, I may have to wait till next Christmas instead, but I'll try! Thanks again! :D**

**MusicRocks807 xxxx**


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